Ravens LB Kindle will have DUI case heard on Tuesday

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Sergio Kindle has said he's looking forward to putting his recent driving under the influence arrest behind him. He will get that chance now that his court case has been moved up.

The Howard County District Court will hear the case on Tuesday afternoon, the Carroll County Timesreported on Monday. It had initially been set for May 18, before being moved up on the docket.

"The main thing is I want to get it over with and figure out what they're going to do," Kindle told the Times earlier this spring. "I don't know how the Maryland law works, but I want to get it behind me and not have to worry about it anymore."

Kindle, 23, was pulled over by police in the early morning hours of Dec. 26 and cited for driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to obey traffic control devices and speeding. He blew a 0.17 on the Breathalyzer, more than twice Maryland legal limit of 0.08.

When asked how much alcohol he had consumed, Kindle replied: "It wasnât much, but I guess it was enough. I guess it was enough for me to fail a Breathalyzer."

The case is the latest hiccup in the career of Kindle, who was drafted out of University of Texas in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He suffered a hairline fracture of his skull just days before training camp when he fell down two flights of stairs at a friend's house. He missed all of last season with the injury, and his playing future remains in doubt despite encouraging recent reports.

"Well, Sergio has made a lot of progress from the time he fell down the stairs," Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said during a conference call with season ticket holders. "Right now, it's still in medical hands. We are very optimistic that there may be an opportunity for him to get back on the field. When will that happen? We're not sure. We're very optimistic that Sergio will get back on the field at some point."

This is the second time Kindle has faced a DUI charge. He was charged with the same offense three years ago during his time at Texas. Also at UT, he involved in a one-car accident when he crashed into an apartment building. He admitted later he had been texting while driving.